Throttle device

ABSTRACT

A throttle device comprises a device housing with an inlet and an outlet and a throttle element arranged in a connecting duct connecting the inlet and the outlet, said throttle element comprising at least two throttle components to be adjusted relative to one another and by the relative position of which an opening surface of the throttle element is determined, at least the first throttle component being actively connected with a drive means for an adjustment relative to the second throttle component. In order to guarantee with a simplified construction a safe operation of the throttle device without the risk of a choking of the corresponding throttle element and to simultaneously realize a simple possibility of movement for the throttle components, the throttle components are throttling discs to be rotated relative one to another at least one of which being movably connected with a rotary adjustment device of the drive means, the throttling disc each comprising at least one throttle opening the overlap of which determines the opening surface depending on the relative position of the throttling discs.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a National Phase entry of PCT Application No.PCT/EP2003/009698 filed 1 Sep. 2003 which claims priority to GermanApplication No. 202 13 365.6 filed 30 Aug. 2002, both of which areincorporated herein by reference. This application is related to thefollowing applications: PCT Application No. PCT/EP2003/009701 filed 1Sep. 2003 which claims priority to German Application No. 202 13 391.5filed 30 Aug. 2003; PCT/EP2003/009700 filed 1 Sep. 2003 which claimspriority to German Application No. 202 13 393.1 filed 30 Aug. 2002; PCTApplication No. PCT Application No. PCT/EP2003/009697 filed 1 Sep. 2003which claims priority to German Application No. 202 13 389.3 filed 30Aug. 2002; PCT Application No. PCT/EP2003/009696 filed 1 Sep. 2003 whichclaims priority to German Application No. 202 13 364.8 filed 30 Aug.2002; PCT Application No. PCT/EP2003/009699 filed 1 Sep. 2003 whichclaims priority to German Application No. 202 13 388.5 filed 30 Aug.2002; and U.S. application Ser. No. 10/836,559 filed 30 Apr. 2004, allof which are incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a throttle device with a device housingcomprising an inlet and an outlet and with a throttle element arrangedin a connecting duct connecting the inlet and the outlet, said throttleelement comprising at least two throttle components to be adjustedrelative to one another and by the relative position of which an openingsurface of the throttle element is determined, at least a first throttlecomponent being actively connected with a drive means for an adjustmentrelative to the second throttle component.

Such a throttle device can, for example, be employed in an apparatus forthe gas or oil production which can be arranged at inaccessible places,such as underneath sea level or even on the ocean bed. By acorresponding adjustment of the throttle device and thus an adjustmentof the corresponding opening surface of the throttle element, thepassage of the fluid to be transported is determined by a connectingduct in the device housing connecting the inlet and the outlet.

In order to be able to adjust the opening surface of the throttleelement, the same normally comprises two throttle components to beadjusted relative one to another. One throttle component can, forexample, have a sleeve-like design and comprise corresponding openingsin the sleeve walls which are more or less covered and thus closed bythe other throttle component also having a sleeve-like design. Dependingon the arrangement of the two sleeve-like throttle components one uponthe other, thus the opening surface of the throttle element and thus ofthe passage through the throttle device is determined.

In this throttle device known from practice, the mechanical movement ofthe two throttle components is rather complicated and it is possiblethat due to the impurities entrained in the fluid to be transported thethrottle device and in particular the throttle element get choked atleast partially. The mounting of the throttle components, too, isrelatively complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to improve a throttle deviceof the type mentioned in the beginning in that the same guarantees asafe operation of the throttle device at the same time having asimplified design and not bearing the risk of the corresponding throttleelement getting choked, and in that simultaneously the possibility of asimple movement of the throttle components is realized.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1.

According to the invention, the throttle components are designed asthrottling discs to be rotated relative one to another. One or two ofthese discs is/are movably connected with a rotary adjustment device ofthe drive means. By correspondingly rotating the throttling discsrelative to one another, each of the throttling discs comprising atleast one throttle opening, the overlap of these throttle openings isvaried and thus the opening surface of the throttle element isdetermined.

The use of discs as throttle components results in a small size of thethrottle element and simultaneously in a safe operation, as it is easilypossible to rotate the discs in opposite directions even if impuritiesare entrained in the fluid to be transported, so that an at leastpartial choking of the throttle device is largely excluded.

In order to give the throttle device according to the invention an evensimpler design, only one of the throttling discs can be movablyconnected with the drive means, so that, for example, the firstthrottling disc is fixed relative to the device housing. By a purerotation of the second throttling disc, this results in a correspondingadjustment of the opening surface of the throttle element.

In order to keep the influence on the flow between inlet and outletthrough the connecting duct by the throttle element as low as possibleand optionally not to deflect it, the first throttling disc can form apart of the connecting duct with its at least one throttle opening. Thatmeans that the corresponding throttle opening leads through theconnecting duct between inlet and outlet without changing the flowdirection of the fluid.

In order to be able to arrange the throttling discs in the devicehousing in a simple manner, adjacent to the outlet, a fixation disc canbe inserted in particular detachably in the device housing, the firstthrottling disc being stationarily fixed to the fixation disc. Thismakes it possible to remove the first throttling disc by simplydetaching the fixation disc in the device housing and to possiblyreplace it by another first throttling disc. One can do without thefixation of the first throttling disc directly at the device housingresulting in a simple design of the first throttling disc.

In this connection, it can be furthermore considered to be favorable forthe fixation disc to comprise an essentially centric hole also forming apart of the connecting duct.

In order to be able to more easily discharge fluid transported throughthe throttle device via the outlet, the hole of the fixation disc can beexpanded towards the outlet.

Analogously, the design is further simplified if the second rotatingthrottling disc is arranged directly adjacent to the first throttlingdisc and forms a part of the connecting duct with its at least onethrottle opening. In this manner, the second throttling disc and itsthrottle opening do not deflect or deviate the fluid flowing from theinlet to the outlet.

In order to be able to arrange the throttle element formed by the twothrottling discs at an adequate distance to the inlet, the rotaryadjustment device can be movably connected with the second throttlingdisc via a connecting sleeve as operating element of the throttleelement forming a part of the connecting duct and being inserted in thedevice housing. The connecting sleeve is correspondingly rotatablymounted in the device housing, its rotation being transmittable to thesecond throttling disc.

In order not to need any further additional component in the area of theinlet, the inlet can be formed in the area of the connecting sleeve.

In order to be able to securely supply fluid from the inlet to theconnecting duct, the inlet can have an inlet sleeve which projects intothe connecting duct through a guiding slot in the connecting sleeve. Inthis case, the inlet sleeve can optionally extend towards the outlet atits end facing the connecting duct, so that the fluid flow is deflectedtowards the outlet already by the inlet sleeve.

In order to be able to guarantee an adequate rotation of the secondthrottling disc, the guiding slot can essentially extend at an angle of180° in the circumferential direction of the connecting sleeve. Thatmeans that the connecting sleeve can be rotated by essentially 180° andthe second throttling disc can also be correspondingly rotated by 180°.

It is of course possible to give the guiding slot a shorter or longerdesign.

Various rotary adjustment devices via which a revolution of a drivemeans can be transmitted into a corresponding and possibly geared downrevolution of the connecting sleeve or the second throttling disc,respectively are known. A rotary adjustment device comprising a fixedsleeve fixed relative to the device housing and a rotary sleeve to berotated relative thereto requires only little space. In this case, therotary sleeve is connected on the one hand with the connecting sleeveand on the other hand with the drive means. Due to the sleeve-likedesign of the rotary adjustment device, there still remains some spacein the interior of the sleeves for accommodating other means of thethrottle device.

A simple possibility of rotating the rotary sleeve by means of the fixedsleeve can be seen in that at least one slot is formed each in the fixedsleeve and the rotary sleeve, which slots comprise differentinclinations in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve and overlapeach other at least for receiving an insertion element, the insertionelement being movable by the drive means. If the insertion element ismoved along the slot of the fixed sleeve, it is forcibly also movedalong the slot of the rotary sleeve and due to the differentinclinations of these slots, the rotary sleeve rotates relative to thefixed sleeve. One possibility of realizing these different inclinationsis to dispose the corresponding slots in an X-shape.

In order to move the insertion element along the slots in a simplemanner, it can project essentially radially to the outside from arotating spindle or a nut of a screw. If it projects from the rotatingspindle, its rotary and lengthwise motion is converted into acorresponding movement of the insertion element and transmitted to therotary sleeve due to the guidance along the slots.

Preferably, this screw is a ball screw consisting of rotating spindleand ball nut.

In order to give the ball screw a more stable design, the rotatingspindle can be mounted in the device housing to be rotated but not to beshifted axially. In this case, the insertion element is moved by theball nut.

In a simple embodiment in this connection, the ball nut can move alongthe rotating spindle and be rotated about the same.

For rotating the rotary sleeve not only at one spot by the action of acorresponding insertion element and for avoiding a possible jamming ofthe rotary sleeve relative to the fixed sleeve, two insertion elementscan project essentially opposite to one another outside from the ballnut and engage in correspondingly arranged slot pairs of rotary sleeveand fixed sleeve.

For a better guidance of the insertion elements along the slots, it ismoreover possible that the insertion elements comprise friction-reducingsupports or pivot rests which roll off along the slots when theinsertion elements are adjusted.

The construction of the rotary adjustment device can be furthersimplified if the rotary sleeve is rotatably mounted in the devicehousing at both its ends. Moreover, a rotating bedding (bearing) can beprovided between rotary sleeve and fixed sleeve. It is also possible forthe two sleeves to be adequately spaced, so that there is no friction incase of their relative rotation.

In order to be able to mount the rotating spindle in the device housingin a simpler way, at its front end facing the operating element, therotary sleeve can comprise an annular flange projecting radially to theinside where one end of the rotating spindle is rotatably mounted.

The corresponding other end of the rotating spindle is movably connectedwith the drive means. At the corresponding spot of the movableconnection, the rotating spindle can also be rotatably mounted.

In order to be able to arrange the throttling discs relatively easily inthe device housing and to stationarily connect it there with thecorresponding component, each throttling disc can be stationarilyconnected with its respective associated component, in particular by anumber of pins. That means that, for example, the fixed throttling discis stationarily connected with the fixation disc by pins correspondinglyarranged between them and the second throttling disc is stationarilyconnected with the rotating connecting sleeve also by pins arrangedbetween them. The two throttling discs are, for example, in frictionalabutment to one another, preferably both throttling discs having thesame dimensions and in particular the same diameters.

An edge of the respective throttling discs can be formed for this rotaryattachment by means of pins, while the remaining disc plane can servefor receiving a number of throttle openings.

The construction of the throttle device according to the invention canfurthermore be simplified in that the throttling discs have the samedesign per se and it is, for example, determined only by a correspondingconnection with the associated component which one is employed as firstand which one as second throttling disc. This can, for example, beeffected in that the same number and/or the same shape and/or the samesize of throttle openings are arranged in the throttling discs.

A simple possibility of varying the throttle surface of the throttleelement by only a few throttle openings and with an only slight rotationof the throttling discs one to another can be seen in that the throttleopenings are designed in a circumferential direction of the throttlingdiscs with growing opening surfaces. Such throttle openings comprise,for example, a drop-shaped cross-section or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following, advantageous embodiments of the invention areillustrated more in detail with reference to the figures enclosed in thedrawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a throttle device accordingto the invention corresponding to a section along line I-I of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 shows a section along line II-II of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 shows a section analogously to FIG. 2 through another embodimentof the throttle device according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF TTHE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1, a longitudinal section along line I-II of FIG. 2 through anembodiment of a throttle device 1 according to the invention isrepresented. It comprises a device housing 15 which is essentially onlydepicted in the area to be inserted into a corresponding apparatus ofthe gas or oil production. At its outer side, the device housingcomprises a cross-section reduced in degrees by means of fittingsurfaces which permits in a simple manner an insertion of the throttledevice 1 into such apparatuses even by means of a telecontrolled vehicleat inaccessible places.

In FIG. 1, the device housing 15 comprises at its left end an outlet 3which is in communication with an inlet 2 laterally arranged at thehousing via a connecting duct 4 within the device housing 15. A throttleelement 5 is arranged between inlet and outlet and within the connectingduct 4. It comprises two throttle components 6, 17 which are designed asthrottling discs 9, 10 to be rotated in opposite directions. The firstthrottling disc 9 is stationarily arranged relative to the devicehousing 15. This stationary arrangement is effected via pins 39 arrangedbetween the first throttling disc 9 and a fixation disc 14. The fixationdisc 14 is stationarily held by studs or stop pins 51 with a hexagonsocket screwed into the device housing 15 from the outside. The fixationdisc 14 comprises an internal bore 16 forming a part of the connectingduct 4 and being expanded towards the outlet 3.

The second throttling disc 10 is arranged directly adjacent to and inabutment with the first throttling disc 9. There is no connectionbetween them, so that the second throttling disc 10 can be rotatedwithin the device housing 15. The corresponding throttle openings 12,13, 40, 41, too, see FIGS. 2 and 3, in the throttling discs 9, 10 form apart of the connecting duct 4.

Towards the inlet 2, a connecting sleeve 17 follows the secondthrottling disc 10, which is also rotatably mounted in the devicehousing and with its central hole or opening forms a part of theconnecting duct 4. The inlet 2 is arranged in the area of the connectingsleeve 17. It comprises an inlet sleeve 19 which flushes with theoutside of the device housing and projects into the connecting duct 4with its internal end. The inlet sleeve 19 is sealed with respect to thedevice housing and with respect to the connecting sleeve 17.

Within the connecting sleeve 17, in the area of the inlet sleeve 19, aguiding slot 20 is arranged, which, in the represented embodiment,extends approximately by 180° in the circumferential direction 21, seeFIG. 2, of the device housing or the connecting sleeve 17.

The connecting sleeve 17, as operating element 18 for the throttleelement 5, is movably connected with a rotary adjustment device 11 atits side opposed to the second throttling disc 10. The motion connectionis effected via a supporting ring 45 which is arranged between therotary adjustment device 11 and the connecting sleeve 17 and isdetachably mounted in particular at the rotary adjustment device 11. Therotary connection between the connecting sleeve 17 and the supportingring 45 is in turn effected via pins 39.

The connecting duct 4 ends opposite the inlet 3 at a cap 46 which isinserted in a corresponding opening of the supporting ring 45.

The rotary adjustment device 11 is formed by two sleeves. A first fixedsleeve 22 is arranged within the device housing 15 in the longitudinaldirection 28 of the sleeve and cannot be rotated or shifted. The rotaryattachment is effected by stop pins 47 which can comprise a hexagonsocket and are screwed through the device housing 15 from the outside.These pins 7 and the stop pins 51 do not project over a correspondingoutside wall of the device housing.

With its ends, the fixed sleeve 22 is in abutment with a correspondingstep in the interior of the device housing or with a separate stop, sothat it cannot be shifted in the longitudinal direction 28. A rotarysleeve 23 is arranged within the fixed sleeve 22. At its front end 34facing the operating element 18, it is detachably connected with thesupporting ring 45 by means of studs or the like. At the front end 34 ofthe rotary sleeve 23, furthermore an annular flange 36 radiallyprojecting to the inside is formed, in which a pivot rest 43 forrotatably mounting a rotating spindle 30 is arranged. One end 37 of therotating spindle 30 is detachably connected with the pivot rest 43. Therotating spindle is rotatably held by the connection with the pivot rest43, but it cannot be shifted in the longitudinal direction 28 of thesleeve. At the rear end 35 of the rotary sleeve 23 a bearing device 50is arranged.

A ball nut 31 is mounted on the rotating spindle 30 and can be shiftedin the longitudinal direction 28 of the sleeve and also rotated aboutthe rotating spindle 30. The rotating spindle 30 and ball nut 32 form aball screw 32.

The other end 38 of the rotating spindle 30 is connected with acorresponding motor of the drive means 8 of the throttle device 1, sucha motor or else a plurality of such motors not being depicted in FIG. 1for simplification. The connection of these motors with the rotatingspindle 30 can be effected directly or else by inserting one or morestep-down gear units. Examples of such step-down gear units are aharmonic drive, a worm gear pair, a double helical gearing and the like.

The nut and counternut 31 comprise at their outer side, a straining ring48 with which a supporting ring is connected via studs 49. Two insertionelements 29, 33 project from this supporting ring essentially radiallyto the outside relative to the ball nut 31. The insertion elements 29,33 engage slot pairs 24, 25 and 26, 27 on opposite sides of the ball nut31. Slots 24, 26 are formed in the rotary sleeve 23 and slots 25, 27 areformed in the fixed sleeve 22, respectively. The slots of rotary sleeveand fixed sleeve comprise different inclinations in the longitudinaldirection 28, the corresponding slots being, for example, arranged in anX-shape.

In FIG. 2, a section along line II-II of FIG. 1 is shown. The sectiongoes through the throttle element 5, so that the arrangement of thethrottle opening 12, 13, 40, 41 can be seen in both throttling discs 9,10. The throttling discs 9, 10 are, also see the descriptions to FIG. 1,stationarily connected with the respective corresponding component, seefixation disc 14 or connecting sleeve 17, respectively, by a number ofpins 39.

In the respective disc plane, the throttle openings are arranged in thearea of the connecting duct 4. In the shown embodiment in FIG. 2, forexample, there are two throttle openings 12, 14 in the first throttlingdisc 9 and corresponding throttle openings 13, 41 in the secondthrottling disc 10. The throttle openings comprise an opening surface 42growing in the circumferential direction 21. In the position of thefirst and second throttling discs 9, 10, shown in FIG. 2, the throttleopenings of the various discs do not overlap, so that the connectingduct 4 is closed.

In FIG. 3, a second embodiment for throttling discs with another designof throttle openings is shown. They are essentially drop-shaped andextend approximately in the circumferential direction 21, see FIG. 2. Inthis case, too, the opening surface is getting larger in onecircumferential direction.

Further shapes for the throttle openings are obvious. It should,however, be ensured that in at least one position of the throttlingdiscs 9, 10 relative one to another, there is no overlap of the throttleopenings of the various discs, so that a closing of the connecting duct4 is ensured.

In the following, in brief the functioning of the throttle deviceaccording to the invention is described with reference to the Figures.

If a revolution is transmitted to the rotating spindle 30 by one orseveral non-depicted drive motors of the drive means 8, the ball nut 31moves in the longitudinal direction 28 of the sleeve and also rotatesabout the rotating spindle 30 due to the engagement of the insertionelements 29, 33 in the slots 25, 27 of the fixed sleeve 22. As theinsertion elements 29, 33 also engage the slots 24, 26 of the rotarysleeve 23, by the guidance of the insertion elements along the slots inthe fixed sleeve, the rotary sleeve is correspondingly rotated. When therotary sleeve 23 is rotated, the supporting ring 45 stationarilyconnected thereto and the connecting sleeve 17 as operating element 18of a throttle element 5 stationarily connected thereto, are alsorotated. Due to the stationary connection with the second throttlingdisc 10, the rotation of the connecting sleeve 17 is transmittedthereto. This results in a relative adjustment of the second throttlingdisc to the first throttling disc 9, which is stationarily arranged inthe device housing 15 by means of the fixation disc 14. When the twothrottling discs 9, 10 are rotated relative to one another, there alsois a relative rotation of the throttle openings 12, 40 and 13, 41 formedin the respective throttling disc. This relative motion results in adifferent overlap of the throttle opening, the overlap being betweenzero and a maximum value which is essentially achieved in that thethrottle openings of the different throttling discs overlap completely.Thereby, the connecting duct 4 can be closed or opened between the inlet2 and the outlet 3, the maximal opening surface corresponding to themaximal overlap surface of the throttle openings.

1-25. (canceled)
 26. An apparatus for adjusting flow, the apparatuscomprising: a housing having a passageway; the passageway having anopening therethrough; a member rotatably disposed in the passageway andhaving an aperture therethrough; the opening and aperture overlapping toform a flow area through the housing; and drive means connected to themember to adjust the position of the aperture with respect to theopening to adjust the flow area.
 27. An apparatus for adjusting flow,the apparatus comprising: a housing having a passageway with an inletand an outlet; a first component disposed in the passageway and having afirst aperture therethrough; a second component disposed in thepassageway and having a second aperture therethrough; the first andsecond apertures forming an adjustable opening in the passageway; andthe first and second components being adjustable relative to one anotherto adjust the opening and the flow through the passageway.
 28. Theapparatus of claim 27 wherein the first and second apertures overlap toform the opening.
 29. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the first andsecond components are disposed adjacent each other in the passageway toform the opening.
 30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the firstaperture of the first component is a centric hole forming a part of thepassageway.
 31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the hole is expandedtowards the outlet.
 32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein at least oneof the first and second components has a disc with a number of aperturesarranged in the plane of the disc.
 33. The apparatus of claim 27,wherein the same number and/or the same shape and/or the same size ofapertures are arranged in the first and second components.
 34. Theapparatus of claim 27, wherein the first and second apertures are formedin the first and second components in a circumferential direction of thecomponents with a growing opening surface.
 35. The apparatus of claim27, further comprising a drive means to move the first and secondcomponents relative to one another to adjust the opening.
 36. Theapparatus of claim 35 wherein the first component is fixed and thesecond component is rotatable, the second component being connected tothe drive means.
 37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the drive meansincludes a rotary adjustment assembly.
 38. The apparatus of claim 37,wherein the rotary adjustment assembly includes a connecting sleeveconnected to the second component and forming a part of the passagewayin the housing.
 39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein flow through theinlet passes through the connecting sleeve.
 40. The apparatus of claim39, wherein the inlet includes an inlet sleeve projecting into thepassageway through an orifice in the connecting sleeve.
 41. Theapparatus of claim 40, wherein the orifice is a slot that extends overan angle of 180° in the circumferential direction of the connectingsleeve.
 42. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the rotary adjustmentassembly includes a fixed sleeve fixed relative to the housing and arotary sleeve rotatable relative to the housing, the rotary sleeve beingmovably connected to the connecting sleeve and to the drive means. 43.The apparatus of claim 42, further including at least one slot in thefixed sleeve and one slot in the rotary sleeve, the slots havinginclinations in a longitudinal direction of the sleeves and overlappingat least to receive an insertion element, which is movable by the drivemeans.
 44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the insertion elementprojects essentially radially to the outside from a rotating spindle ora ball nut of a screw to form a ball screw.
 45. The apparatus of claim44, wherein the insertion elements project outside from the ball nutessentially opposite to one another and engage in correspondinglyarranged slot pairs of the rotary sleeve and fixed sleeve.
 46. Theapparatus of claim 40, wherein the rotary sleeve includes an annularflange projecting radially inwardly with one end of the rotating spindlebeing rotatably mounted in the annular flange.